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I'm going to start sending my customers to this page so perhaps you could show some of you custom saya work for them.

Also, if you want to give rates and address info or anything else that will help people make it easy I think that would be helpful. We should be able to bring you some business since your stuff is really nice and well priced.

Going rates are usually between $65 for 180-240mm Sayas and $70 for 270mm saya's for most woods. Longer blades will be a bit more since I would need to order more wood. Shorter blades will be a little less, maybe around $55 or so. Sometimes I can get wood on sale or use less expensive woods if the customer needs to save money.

I prefer to have the knife in hand so I can fit the knife to the saya better. I have done them from tracings, but need to do them oversize to account for any dimensional variances from the drawing to the knife. I may try to do some generic saya's, like for a 210mm gyuto, 240mm gyuto, etc that will fit a range of knives that may be a bit looser.

Bolivian Rosewood:

Bocote, Lacewood, Bloodwood:

Cherry on top, Bolivian Rosewood on the bottom IIRC:

I like Bolivian Rosewood and the Bloodwood the best so far; nice figuring and take a nice finish. I have some curly maple, but the figure isn't really consistent through the pieces. Same with Lacewood; some has really nice, tight figure and other pieces are much less figure, more of a splotchy look. Walnut and cherry are fairly plain woods as well that will take a decent finish. I haven't used Bubinga yet, but I have several pieces here.

taz575

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:58 pm

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

Just got some shipments in today and yesterday!! Lots of Bolivian Rosewood, some Cherry, Birch, Kauri and Basswood. Basswood is for spacers and the other materials for the outside of the Saya's. I will be starting on the saya's shortly, but I also got hit with a bunch of fishing rod orders (winter is usually the busy time for rods), so I will be juggling knife handles, knife saya's and fishing rods for a while!

Paradox

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 5:53 am

Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 10:53 pmPosts: 335Location: Seattle, WA USA

What kind of work do you do onfFishing rods Tim?

taz575

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:45 pm

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

Everything. I get the blanks, guides, reel eat, grips, etc. and build the rod up from there.

DieselHardware

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:26 pm

Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:08 pmPosts: 210

What kind of fishing rods? Any photos of your wrapping work?

taz575

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 2:37 pm

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

I do all sorts of rods, but I am starting to get out of the rod building. It's either feast (8 rods,1 gaff and 9 redo's in a 4 week period that people have contacted me about but haven't finalized anything) or famine (1 rod in 6-8 months). My blog tajoutdoors.blogspot.com has rod and knife pics on it.

jasonkierce

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:11 pm

Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:45 pmPosts: 104

Hi Tim,

I need to get that Takeda 270 mm AS Gyuto a sheath. It seems you take paypal. What do I need to get started? I can't send you the knife but I have a digital caliper that will give you accurate dimensions. Tell me where you want measured and I will give you accurate measurements. How long does it take to make? Is it easier to email you directly or do you have a website to order from?

Jason

taz575

Post subject: Re: Custom Sayas by Tim Johnson

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:25 am

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

I need the dimensions, but it's difficult to do a saya w/o the knife in hand. Sometimes the epoxy will leak out into the inner cavity and I need the blade to make sure it will fit by hand after that, or I have to cut the spacer oversized and the fit will end up being sloppy.

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